Islamic education in schools must focus on Islamic way of life: PM

KUALA LUMPUR: The teaching of Islamic subjects, especially in kindergartens, will emphasise the inculcation of positive values among Muslim students.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that Islamic education in kindergartens and schools is currently focussed on the techniques of performing prayers, instead of the Islamic way of life.

"We want to empower kindergartens, because that is where we want to nurture our children.

"We will ensure that Islamic values will be given focus in the subject, instead of politics.

"(Current) Islamic education is limited to teaching certain prayers, not the Islamic way of life.

"This is what we want to change in our education system… so that it would work to build the characters (of students) according to Islamic values," Dr Mahathir said during a question-and-answer session at the Congress on the Future of the Bumiputera and the Nation 2018 today.